From Ærø to Iowa: Documenting the Journey of Danish Immigrants to Audubon and Shelby Counties in Iowa

The Bridge

Volume 41 Number 2 Article 10

2018

Cynthia Larsen Adams

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Recommended Citation Adams, Cynthia Larsen (2018) "From Ærø to Iowa: Documenting the Journey of Danish Immigrants to Audubon and Shelby Counties in Iowa," The Bridge: Vol. 41 : No. 2 , Article 10. Available at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/thebridge/vol41/iss2/10

This Article is brought to you for free and open access by BYU ScholarsArchive. It has been accepted for inclusion in The Bridge by an authorized editor of BYU ScholarsArchive. For more information, please contact [email protected], [email protected]. From Ærø to Iowa | Cynthia Larsen Adams From Ærø to Iowa: Documenting the Journey of Danish Immigrants to Audubon and Shelby Counties in Iowa

By Cynthia Larsen Adams

Interior of a typical Danish Lutheran church on Ærø. Photo courtesy of Cynthia Larsen Adams.

The island of Ærø lies southwest of Copenhagen, in the Baltic Sea. Just south of the city of Odense, it is connected to the mainland by fer- ries. Between 1850 and 1920, nearly two thousand of Ærø’s residents decided to immigrate to the United States. When the frst emigrants left Ærø the island had three major port towns—Marstal, Ærøskøbing, and Søby. Marstal was well known for its shipbuilding, which made it a local economic power base, while Ærøskøbing was the chief town and primary port for ferry traffic. Aside from sailors, ship’s captains, and shipbuilders, most of the island’s residents were small landhold- ers, village tradespeople, and merchants. Until 1864 Ærø was part of

69 The Bridge 41:2 (Fall 2018) the duchy of Slesvig, but when Denmark was defeated by Prussia, the island was traded to the Danish king in exchange for some of his pos- sessions in what is today northern Germany. It officially became part of the kingdom of Denmark in 1867. Aside from a devastating flood in 1872, times were good for Ærø in the late nineteenth century. By 1893, the island’s merchant fleet was the second largest in the country, after Copenhagen, with 341 ships. Still, the lack of arable land for a grow- ing population drove young people off the island, to nearby cities and across the Atlantic. Seven churches, like the one pictured above, supplied the records for my research into emigration from Ærø: Søby, Bregninge, Tranderup, Ærøskøbing, Rise, Marstal and Ommel. Each is a beautiful structure adorned with a typical Danish ship floating in the air above the congregation. Claus Jørgen Larsen was ffteen years old in July of 1889 when he left his home in Store Rise, Ærø, Denmark and immigrated to Iowa. Traveling with his uncle Ole Olesen, Claus sailed on the ship Hekla to New York and then on to Ole’s farm in Shelby County. Ole Olesen had frst immigrated to Illinois in 1866 before moving to Shelby county in 1873. He was among the earliest Danish immigrants to that part of Iowa, which in future years would be known as “Little Denmark on the Prairie.” Since Claus had hired himself out to his uncle as an indentured servant, he spent his frst years in America living in his uncle’s barn and working the felds until he had repaid his debt. Claus’ and Ole’s stories are among the 569 immigrant histories I have documented. This is the story of one specifc area of Denmark that supplied immigrants to Audubon and Shelby counties in Iowa, which would eventually form the largest rural Danish settlement in the United States. My desire to research these immigrants’ stories was instilled by this young immigrant, Claus Jørgen Larsen, who eventually became my grandfather. The expansion of the United States brought about the establish- ment of the state of Iowa in 1846. Lying in the southwest quarter in the state, Audubon and Shelby counties were formed in 1851. The 1860 federal census documented immigrants moving into the area, but no people of Danish descent were among them. By the 1870 census, twenty-six Danes lived in Shelby County, but none had yet set- tled in Audubon County. The frst Danish settlers, like many young

70 From Ærø to Iowa | Cynthia Larsen Adams

The author’s grandfather, Danish immigrant Claus Jørgen Larsen, from Ærø.

71 The Bridge 41:2 (Fall 2018) immigrants of all nationalities, were employed by the railroads. In 1869 as the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacifc Railroad began its progress across Iowa, a group of eight young Danes were laying track out of an area known as Marne, on the border between Shelby county and its southern neighbor, Cass County. These Danes were Ole H. Jacob- sen; Ole Hansen; Lars Nielsen; Peter Nielsen; Christian Pedersen; Jens Simonsen; and brothers Mikkel, Rasmus, and Johannes Rasmussen. Three of the men were from the island of Møn, Denmark; one was from Aarhus, and the last four men were from Ærø. While in Marne, the men became aware of the opportunity to acquire land in Jackson township in Shelby county. Taking advantage of this chance, they pur- chased the land and thus set in motion the land acquisition and chain migration by Danish immigrants in what would eventually become the largest rural Danish settlement in the US. As the area developed, Danes came from all areas of Denmark, but the largest groups of Danes came from the islands of Ærø and Møn. Among the frst land flings I found at the court house in Har- lan, Iowa were the claims fled by the Rasmussen brothers on May 26, 1870. While I was not allowed to photograph these records, they include all the names of these railroad workers. The names of Johan- nes Jensen Kei and his wife also appear among these frst land owners. Intrigued, I uncovered an interesting relationship between the Rasmussen brothers and Johannes Kei. Mrs. Johannes Kei was Marie Terkelsdatter Christensen Rasmussen Kei—mother to the three Ras- mussen brothers. Johannes and Marie Kei emigrated from Hamburg, Germany May 13, 1874 on board the ship Herder. They apparently joined up with her sons as early land owners. Marie Kei is the old- est Ærø immigrant I have documented. Born in 1805 in Rise, she was married three times and widowed twice. She died in Shelby County in 1875. Following her death, her husband, born in 1819, sold a portion of his land and returned to Ærø. He sold his remaining land in Iowa in 1882. He remarried after returning to Ærø in 1877 and died in 1894.

The Christensen Ranch Niels Hansen Christensen was a prominent member of the Audubon County farming community who helped many of the young Danish immigrants settle into a new life in rural Iowa.H e and his wife

72 From Ærø to Iowa | Cynthia Larsen Adams were some of the very successful people in the community and had an interesting story, which begins with William G. Cameron, who came to this part of Audubon county in the 1870s. A native of Vermont, he had moved to Stark County, Illinois in the 1860s. Several landowners from Stark County moved into the Audubon County region in the early 1870s, and among them was Mr. Cameron. In 1874 William Cameron married Elizabeth Grief of the nearby village of Manning. We will never know exactly when Elizabeth was born as she, always a woman of mystery, kept her age her secret all her life, carrying that knowledge to her grave. Even her cemetery stone has no birthdate. Together the Camerons became large landowners in Cameron Town- ship. William died in 1892, and Elizabeth continued her role as land- owner and ranch manager. The 1880s brought many Danish immigrants into Cameron Town- ship. Included in that wave was Niels Hansen Christensen. Niels was born October 13, 1863 to Peter and Kirsten Christensen in Rise, Ærø. Together with his brother, Niels sailed from Denmark on the ship Thingvalla and reached Audubon County in March 1887. Niels worked for several farmers in Cameron Township and then began to establish himself in the community with the purchase of many acres of land. On July 2, 1896, he and the widow Elizabeth Cameron were married. This merger joined two wealthy landowners, both active in the business of farming, cattle and hog raising, and horse breeding. The new farm’s name, “Christensen Ranch,” tells us how prominent the Christensens were in their community. The individual agricultural operations in Iowa are referred to as “farms,” but the Christensen op- eration was so large, it merited the title of ranch. The Christensen Ranch became a destination for many “green- horn” immigrants. Both men and women were employed at the ranch. Niels and Elizabeth offered a location where Danish immigrants were welcomed, where they could live for a period, be employed, begin to learn the English language, and then move on. They built a large home after their marriage, and it always required a household staff, which provided employment opportunities to single immigrant women. Niels had several nephews that immigrated to join their uncle, and many other people from the Rise area also immigrated. Maybe know-

73 The Bridge 41:2 (Fall 2018) ing your destination led to a person with ties back to Ærø lifted some anxiety from the immigrants. Another landmark of the Ranch was the mystical round barn which stood on the ranch for generations. Strategically located within view from the main road, it was a legend in the community. Much larger than the typical barn, it was a two-story, round structure. It proclaimed the success and accomplishments of its owner. Hand-built and secured with wooden pegs and nails, it was large enough to drive a team of horses with a wagon full of straw into the center of the structure. The most unusual piece of equipment built into the barn was a treadmill for horses so that in times of extreme weather the horses could still be exercised.

This photo was taken in the spring of 1909 on the farm owned by Christian P. and Ane Marie (Hansen) Lauritsen in Sharon township, Audubon county. Depicted, from left to right: Claus J. Larsen who immigrated in 1889; Ane Marie (Hansen) Lauritsen who immigrated in 1882; Louise (Hansen) Miller and her son Peter Miller who immigrated in 1882 and eventually moved on to California. In front of Peter is Ellen Marie (Lauritsen) Larsen, who was married to Claus Larsen, and next is her brother Peter H. Lauritsen. Both were children of Ane Marie and Christian P. Lauritsen and born in Sharon Township. Last is Christian P. Lauritsen who immigrated in 1882 with Ane Marie Hansen. The little girl in front is Edna Larsen, daughter of Claus and Ellen Marie.

74 From Ærø to Iowa | Cynthia Larsen Adams We will never know exactly how many greenhorns came to the ranch. Census records give us some names, but the census only records those at a certain date and many worked there and were not recorded, leaving only family stories of their times at the ranch. Such is the case of my grandfather, Claus J. Larsen, who worked at the ranch in 1895. Claus and Niels must have known one another from Rise, Ærø, as they both came from that area. Claus held several itinerant jobs, and at the ranch he was hired to work with the horses.

Numerical breakdown I have researched a total of 556 Ærø residents who immigrated to Shelby and Audubon counties. Not all these people stayed in Iowa. Many used these counties as a jumping-off point to other states, such as Montana, California, North Dakota, and Minnesota. There was also a group that immigrated to Canada. My list includes twenty people who were not born in Ærø but had moved to the island and lived there before immigrating. The breakdown between the sexes of the immigrants was 345 males and 221 females. The total number of immigrants from each parish was as follows: Rise—191 Bregninge—133 Tranderup—90 Marstal—60 Ærøskøbing—43 Søby—25 Ommel—4

Military Service Prior to their immigration, several of the men had served in the Danish armed forces. They were: Albert P. Albertsen, Hans Nielsen Hansen, John Johnson, Mads Madsen Knudsen, Hans Christensen Nielsen, Andrew Bruen Lauritsen, Christian Petersen Lauritsen, Nis Nissen, and Ole Larsen Terkelsen. One of the Danish immigrants served in the Union Army during the US Civil War: John (Johan) Hansen Rasmussen enlisted on Janu- ary 17, 1865 in the Eighth Iowa Volunteer Infantry, Company A. He 75 The Bridge 41:2 (Fall 2018) was wounded in battle on March 27, 1865 in Spanish Fort, Alabama and discharged on June 24, 1865. Another Danish immigrant served in the Spanish American War in Cuba: my grandfather Claus Jørgen Larsen enlisted on October 5, 1895 in the Iowa First Regiment of the Cavalry, Troop H and was discharged October 4, 1898. Several Danish immigrants from this community served in World War I. The following men were drafted into the US Army for service during the war: Mads Jacob Albertsen, Johannes T. Boye, Andrew Jepsen Christensen, Peter Jensen Clausen, Albert Hermansen Gronne, Bernard Hansen, Mads Hansen, Peter Hansen, Rasmus P. Hansen, Rasmus Larsen Jensen, Marius Jorgensen, Claus H. Petersen, John Winther Petersen, Jens Andersen Lauritsen, Rasmus Christian Ras- mussen, Peter B. M. Sorensen, and Mads Knudsen. The war record of Albert Hermansen Gronne includes one of the most poignant stories about the Danish immigrants in the area. Albert Gronne was born to Kristian and Agnes (Boye) Gronne on June 25, 1895 in the Marstal region of Ærø. He was nineteen when, on March 27, 1914 he set sail on board the ship Oscar II to join his uncle Johan- nes Boye in Elk Horn, Iowa. He worked as a farm laborer for four years before he was drafted into the US Army on June 14, 1918. On his World War I draft registration card, he is described as tall, with a medium build, not bald, with sandy hair and blue eyes—a descrip- tion that would have ft many young Danes. He served in the 360th Infantry, Ninetieth Division, Company I. Fighting for his new country, he was sent to France, and sometime between June of 1918 and Armi- stice Day on November 11, 1918 he was killed in action. No cemetery records have been found, so it is possible he lies in France, among the warriors of the “war to end all wars.” This research will continue to be an ongoing endeavor. I invite all new information and welcome any new names and data to be added to this research. Upon total completion of my research, all information will be donated to the Genealogy Center of the Museum of Danish America in Elk Horn, Iowa. It has been a complete labor of love to document these immigrants. This is not only the story of my ances- tors, but the story of the development of Audubon and Shelby counties, Iowa. Thank you for the opportunity to share my Danish heritage with all of you.